


Look At Their Feet {Rewrite}

by SummerStormFlower



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Normal High School, Axel is Kairi's brother, Crushes, F/F, Friendship, Gen, High School, Kairi-centric (Kingdom Hearts), Lesbian Casanova, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Mario Kart, Naminé is shy, Other, Riku is a bad wingman, Sora is Kairi's best friend, Weirdness, mainly Kairi and Riku friendship, working up the nerve to ask your crush out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:09:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29968932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SummerStormFlower/pseuds/SummerStormFlower
Summary: Kairi needs help confessing to her crush and her best friend Sora falls sick when she needs him the most. With no one else to turn to, she goes to Riku for help. Worst. Idea. Ever.(Better than the first. Promise!)
Relationships: Axel/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi & Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi & Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi/Naminé (Kingdom Hearts), Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 14





	Look At Their Feet {Rewrite}

It should be against the law to look so pretty, Kairi thought. Professor Aqua was writing something on the whiteboard that Kairi should’ve been copying down in her notes, but her gaze was glued to the blond girl by the window. She just couldn’t take her eyes off her and if she was being honest, she didn’t really want to. She was the most beautiful girl Kairi had ever seen. From head to toe, she was nothing less of perfection. A sea of golden hair, big blue eyes framed by the cutest pair of glasses, rosy cheeks...

Kairi smiled, pleasantly content to let the butterflies in her stomach dance. She had it bad this time.

Sora poked Kairi’s arm once, twice, then three times, pressing harder each time.

Finally, Kairi shot him an annoyed look.

“You’re drifting again,” he whispered.

“I know. It’s by choice.” Kairi caught a glimpse of Sora’s eye roll before she returned her attention back to Naminé... who was packing up her things. “She’s leaving,” Kairi gasped in horror, grabbing Sora’s shoulder. “Why is she leaving?”

Sora laughed, shaking her hand off of him. “Because the bell rang,” he said, shoving his books into his backpack.

“Oh,” Kairi sighed in relief and started gathering her own things.

Sora laughed again. “Calm down. You’ll have a heart attack.”

“I’ll have you know I almost did.”

This only made Sora laugh harder, but the sound faded away as Kairi watched Naminé leave the classroom, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

She had had this giant crush on Naminé for a ridiculous amount of time. She would do absolutely anything to ask her out, but there was a problem: Naminé was extremely shy. Hardly spoke a word to anyone. Kairi wasn’t sure if she was even into girls.

“C’mon, you,” Sora said, nudging Kairi teasingly. “We have a test to study for. I’ll share my notes with you, since you clearly weren’t listening.”

“I can’t help it,” Kairi whined, her stare lingering on the doorway Naminé had just disappeared through. “I’m beyond saving.”

“I know. Now get up. I’m not carrying you.”

“Whyyyyyyy not?” Kairi whined even louder.

Sora huffed, but the grin on his face is fond. “You’re such a child.”

“Hey, don’t judge. You’re the exact same way with Riku.” Kairi smirked when Sora blushed a red so bright, it rivaled her hair. “Victory.”

“Oh shut up.”

“Victory.”

“Kairi.”

##

Even three hours after school ended, Kairi couldn’t stop thinking about Naminé. Her little smile, her glasses, her earrings. Tiny ballerinas hanging from her earlobes. That time Naminé helped her pick her books off the floor.

“Kairi.”

That time Naminé bought her lunch when she forgot her money at home.

“Kairi?”

That time Naminé waved at her when they crossed paths in the supermarket.

“Earth to Kairi!”

Kairi blinked and looked at her brother. “What?”

Axel glared at her. Kairi had no idea why. (Unless he found his favourite bracelet, broken, in Kairi’s desk drawer.

“Can you pass the peas?”

“Oh yeah sure.” Kairi passed him the peas, wondering why he didn’t just ask that before. Axel gave her one more glare, green eyes irritated. (Maybe he had found his bracelet).

Sora poked Kairi’s cheek, grinning wide with amusement. He had stayed over for dinner. Honestly, he was here so often, he practically lived here.

“Thinking about ‘her’ again, huh?”

Kairi smacked Sora’s hand. “I told you not to say—”

“Her?” Axel asked, eyebrows raised in interest. He leaned forward, his lips pulling up in a smirk. “Kairi has the hots for someone?”

Kairi groaned. Axel was the last person she’d wanted to know about Naminé.

“Sorry,” Sora said, but he was laughing and didn’t sound at all sorry.

“Who is it? Who is it? Who is it? Who is it? I’m not gonna stop until you tell me. Who is—” 

“Shut up!” Kairi flicked her corn at him.

He gasped. “How dare!” he exclaimed and retaliated by flicking a pea at her.

Sora’s laughter filled the whole house.

“Stay out of my love life!” Kairi shouted, kicking her brother’s shin under the table.

“Oh, you mean like how you stay out of mine?” Axel said, kicking the bottom of her chair. “I’m getting revenge for how you made fun of me when I had a crush.”

“That was different!” proclaimed Kairi, stomping on Axel’s foot. “You were crushing on your best friend’s brother. Twin brother, might I add, and it was the funniest thing ever.”

“It’s not like I ever got them mixed up!” Axel swiftly won their foot war by trapping his sister’s feet with his much longer legs. “They’re like day and night! Anybody who knows them can easily tell them apart.”

“You’re forgetting the time you slapped Ven’s ass, thinking it was Roxas.”

“That was one time and I was sleep deprived!”

Their argument went on and on, spiralling further and further away from the original topic, and Sora didn’t stop laughing for a very long time. Their fighting bordered on almost ten minutes when they got a call from their grandma. Thus, a peace treaty was formed and they cleaned up the dishes together.

Sora left before their grandma got back from work, reminding Kairi to do her homework. It slipped her mind within five minutes.

##

Laying in her bed with her stuffed sheep under her chin, Kairi’s thoughts wandered to Naminé once again. Everything about her was just flawless. Utterly perfect. Her perfection was going to kill Kairi. How she wished she could run her fingers through Naminé’s hair. How she wished she could put her arms around her waist.

And she wanted to kiss her so badly, more than anything she’d ever wanted in her whole life.

“So, what’s the deal with this girl?” Axel asked from the bed underneath hers. 

Kairi couldn’t remember a time they hadn’t shared a room. Maybe they were a little too old for the arrangement, but they didn’t have much of a choice. Their house only had two bedrooms.

“No deal,” Kairi replied.

She didn’t need to see to know that Axel’s eyebrows were raised when he said, “There’s some kind of deal. If there wasn’t, you’d be dating her already.”

“And how would you know that?”

“Remember the waitress?”

“...Which one?”

“The one you asked on a date before you even asked for her name.”

“Oh yeah,” Kairi said, recalling the memory. She pouted. “I was so sad when she turned out straight.”

“She had a ring on her finger, Kairi.”

“Well I was too busy admiring her to notice that.”

Axel laughed. “Got that right,” he agreed. “So, you gonna tell me why haven’t you asked this girl out yet?” There was no teasing lilt to his voice, so Kairi knew he was genuinely curious.

Kairi sighed. “Do I have to?” She really didn’t want to have to suffer through her brother attempting to give her love advice.

“If you want to sleep without disturbance, yes,” Axel said.

Kairi stayed silent as a test.

“I will sing.”

“Ugh, fine,” Kairi groaned. “I don’t know if she’s gay. And she’s super shy.”

“Ah,” said Axel, and Kairi could picture him nodding in understanding. “Yeah, that’s a problem.”

“You think?” Kairi said sarcastically. She sighed again, despairing at the thought of never telling Naminé how she felt. “What should I do?”

“Dunno,” Axel responded honestly, to Kairi’s disappointment. “Did you break your gaydar?”

Kairi huffed. “You know that’s not a real thing, Ax.”

“Uh, it is too! Mine has a ten mile radius. You’re just mad cause’ you broke yours.”

“I did not!”

##

Kairi awoke the next morning to two realizations. Number one, she was severely unprepared for her test. Number two, there was only one way to find out if Naminé was interested in women. She had to ask her... so she was going to get Sora to do it.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned.

“Sora is sick?!” Kairi balked.

Riku gave her a blank stare. “That’s what I said.”

This ruined absolutely everything! Kairi really needed Sora for her plan.

“But whyyyyyyyyy?” she whined, sinking to her knees beside Riku’s desk and laying her head on it. “He wasn’t sick yesterday.”

“It was a chilly evening. He probably caught a cold,” Riku said, moving his books aside so Kairi didn’t knock them over.

Kairi whined louder. “But whyyyy?”

“Because the human body—”

“I know that,” Kairi huffed. She stayed mad for all of three seconds before deflating sadly.

Riku gave her a look. “You forgot to study again, didn’t you?”

“No. Yes.”

“Honestly—”

“But I needed Sora to be my wingman.”

Riku’s eyebrow arched. He always reminded her of Axel when he did that. “Your wingman?” he questioned.

Naminé entered the classroom and Kairi’s gaze followed her as she went to her desk. Riku watched the movement of her eyes, then looked up.

“Oh,” he said.

Kairi sighed forlornly. Then suddenly, a light bulb lit up above her head. She shot to her feet.

“Unless you be my wingman!” she exclaimed hopefully.

Riku blinked at her. “No.”

“Please, please, pleeeeeeeease!”

Riku groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don’t even know how to be a wingman.”

“I just need you to ask Naminé if she’s gay!”

“Why would I do that? I hardly know her.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll ask her! But I need you there for moral support.”

“No.”

“Riku, please!” Kairi begged, clasping her hands under her chin, giving him her best puppy eyes.

Riku sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “...Fine.”

“Yes! Thank you, thank you!” Kairi cheered, throwing her arms around Riku’s neck.

“Yeah, whatever,” Riku grunted, prying himself out of her chokehold.

This would be a piece of cake now! Kairi felt really good about this.

##

This was not a piece of cake. Kairi did not feel good about this at all.

Naminé was sitting in the library with a book. She was just right there, looking so pretty. And Kairi definitely couldn’t do this.

“What are you waiting for?” Riku asked in annoyance, completely oblivious to the cartwheels Kairi’s stomach was doing.

“I’m scared,” she gulped, her feet glued to the floor.

“You’re not scared. You’re dumb,” Riku told her. “Just go over there.”

Kairi shook her head vehemently. “I can’t.”

Riku rolled his eyes. “Yes, you can.” He gave her a little push.

“No!” she cried, latching onto his arm.

“Kairi, I will leave!” Riku threatened, trying to yank himself away from her.

“No, please stay! I’ll go!”

“Then go over there!” Riku pushed her forward again.

Kairi held her hand over her pounding heart, breathing in deeply and exhaling heavily. She turned to Riku one last time. “Just... stay here and watch me, okay?”

“Because that isn’t creepy at all.”

Kairi didn’t reply and finally made her way to Naminé’s table. Naminé looked up, as if sensing her approaching. She smiled kindly. Kairi smiled back nervously, her heart going wild.

“Hi,” she said hoarsely. Her throat felt dry.

“Hi,” said Naminé, her voice soft. She gestured at the empty chair. “Want to sit?” Her voice was like music to Kairi’s ears, making her feel all fluffy inside.

“Um.” Kairi bit her lip. “Can I... ask you something?”

Naminé pushed her glasses up, listening.

“Are you... um...” Kairi wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt. She swallowed audibly, her breath shaky. “Do you have a romantic interest... in girls?”

Naminé blushed a pretty pink, readjusting her glasses again. Kairi’s stomach twisted into knots, regretting ever even considering asking in the first place. She was so obviously straight. This was a mistake—

“Yes,” answered Naminé, looking down shyly, her blush turning redder. “I do...”

Kairi’s stomach fluttered, regret washing right away. She had a chance! This was her chance.

“Oh, then... uh...”

Naminé’s eyes sparkled, her smooth lips curling in a cute smile. “Yes?”

Kairi faltered, her heart beating out of control all over again. She looked over at Riku, hoping to receive some form of much needed encouragement.

A thumbs up, a smile, a nod, anything... but Riku only stared.

“Nothing!” Kairi shouted. Her volume made Naminé wince and recoil like a frightened animal. Kairi shut her mouth tight and berated herself.

“Oh okay...” said Naminé, confused and maybe a little disappointed.

No, that last part was definitely Kairi’s imagination.

She speed walked away as fast as she could, mortified.

##

“It’s all your fault!”

“My fault?”

“She must think I’m so weird now!”

“You are weird.”

“My honour is shattered!”

“If that’s what you wanna call it. Why are you following me?” Riku stopped walking, glaring at Kairi.

“You have to help me!” she proclaimed.

Riku sighed and continued walking. “You’re beyond my help. Go bother someone else.”

“No! You owe me!” Kairi swatted his forearm.

“Ow. What do I owe you for?” Riku asked, rubbing his arm.

“For being a poor wingman.”

“But I didn’t do anything.”

“Exactly! You did nothing!”

“Well excuse me. I told you I didn’t know how to be a wingman.”

Kairi huffed irritably. “Sora would’ve known what to do,” she said.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not Sora,” Riku said sarcastically.

“I know that. But you’re my only option, so you’re going to help me.”

“Damn, you’re like a leech.”

“Why are you so mean?”

“Didn’t Sora tell you I was a jerk?”

“No, he said you were sweet.”

“Shut up. ‘Kay, my place is just up ahead. What do you want?”

“Cheese.”

“Cheese? You want just cheese?”

“Don’t judge me!”

##

Thirty minutes later, they were sitting on the sofa in Riku’s apartment. Kairi had a bowl of cheese slices on her lap and Riku was playing a video game.

“How should I tell her?”

“What?” Riku’s gaze was glued to the TV screen. He turned his Wii remote and Mario took a sharp left in his red car.

“My crush,” Kairi pouted. “How do I tell her I like her?” She stuck a cheese slice in her mouth.

“Who?”

“Naminé! How do I tell her I like her?”

“Like that.”

“Like what.”

“Tell her exactly what you told me. You like her.”

Kairi groaned. “It’s not so simple.”

“Yes, it is. You’re just dumb,” said Riku.

“I don’t even know how I’m gonna face her again,” Kairi sighed despondently.

“Yeah, you’re right. You made an idiot of yourself.”

“I like Sora more than you!”

“I like him more than you too.”

Kairi made a frustrated sound and stuck another cheese slice in her mouth. “This is why I go to Sora for these kinds of things,” she pouted. “He listens to me. He’s nice to me. Unlike you.”

“What was that?” The smirk on Riku’s face told her he was messing with her.

She huffed in annoyance and Riku’s smirk grew wider.

“If Sora was here, he’d be patting me on the back. He’d have cheese, and cookies, and chocolates out for us.”

“Yeah... I’m not doing that.”

“You’re so—”

“Has anybody ever told you how damn whiny you are?”

Kairi gasped. “Sora would never say that to me!”

“Again, not Sora.”

“I can talk to Sora about anything! He’s the best friend ever! We talk about shampoo, and share our darkest secrets, and he lets me complain about my period cramps—”

“Kairi, for the last time! I don’t want to hear about your period cramps!”

“You’re so mean! I could be in agonizing period pain right now and you wouldn’t even care!”

“Why are we talking about your period?!”

##

After arguing for over an hour, only stopping once they realized they’d forgotten what they were arguing about, Riku had changed his game and Kairi was at the kitchen table with a pen and paper.

“What rhymes with Naminé?”

“Seriously? A poem?”

“I don’t know what else to do!” Kairi cried, dropping her head in her arms in defeat.

Riku sighed and paused his game, going into the kitchenette and sitting across from her. “You’ve done this before. Girls at school call you The Lesbian Casanova. What’s so special about this one girl?”

“I know... I don’t know!” Kairi pulled at her hair. “She’s just different! I feel different around her. I...” She felt heart. It always beat differently when she thought about Naminé. “I think she might be my person.”

Riku was quiet. He was actually listening to her.

Kairi sighed, crumpling up her stupid poem. “How did you do it?”

Riku frowned. “Do what?”

“Confess to Sora,” Kairi said, “You had a major crush on him for years, right? How’d you work up the nerve to tell him how you felt?”

Riku shifted uncomfortably.

Kairi sighed. As much as she wanted to know, she didn’t want to force him. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me.”

“No,” Riku suddenly said, leaning forward. He stared at Kairi intently, severe expression telling her he wasn’t messing around. “You wanna know what you do when you really like someone?”

“What?” Kairi held her breath expectantly.

“You look at their feet and don’t look up until you’re done talking,” said Riku.

Kairi gazed at him. “Really?”

Riku nodded. “Really.”

Kairi thought about that for a minute; pictured herself doing it.

“That’s what you did with Sora?” she asked.

Riku was quiet.

Kairi gasped, grinning. “Sora did that with you.”

“No! I... I did.”

“You did?”

“...Yeah.”

“That’s adorable.”

“Shut up.”

##

The next day, Kairi approached Naminé with a brave smile.

“Hey Naminé!” she called cheerfully, her eyes trained on the blond girl’s white runners.

“Oh. Yes?” Naminé responded softly.

Kairi glanced over her shoulder at Riku who was leaning against the wall in the hallway, pretending to be on his phone.

He gave her a nod.

Kairi looked at Naminé’s shoes again and let the beating in her chest do the talking.

**Author's Note:**

> The End
> 
> Thank you to those who read! Feedback is greatly appreciated. And definitely let me know if I missed any typos! Hope you enjoyed!


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